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Joyce was born and raised in Tallaght, now a suburb of Dublin, but a separate village at the time of his birth. His mother was a cleaner and his father worked in a tobacco factory. He attended secondary school at St Mark's Community School in Springfield, Tallaght.

In 2000 he joined Qantas.[5] At both Ansett Australia and Qantas, Joyce headed the Network Planning, Schedules Planning and Network Strategy functions.[3] Joyce was appointed CEO of Qantas subsidiary Jetstar Airways in October 2003.[3][6]

The Australian named Joyce the most influential business leader in 2011.[8] Yet a poll following his controversial 2011 grounding of the Qantas fleet showed the action has increased negative public perception of the airline.[9] In 2011, Joyce's remuneration was increased 71 per cent from $2.92 million in 2009-10 to $5.01 million and he was granted 1.7 million Qantas shares under a long-term incentive plan.[10] His reported comments that his salary was "conservative" were criticised by the Australian and International Pilots Association (AIPA).[11]

On 9 May 2017, Joyce was delivering a speech to a business breakfast event in Perth, when a lemon meringue pie was pushed into his face by an unknown assailant,[12] later identified as Tony Overheu, a Western Australian farmer and Christian. Overheu, aged 67, gave a false name to police after the incident, but subsequently apologised for humiliating the CEO claiming that he pied the business figure due to his own personal belief that Joyce had overstepped the line in his gay marriage advocacy and the assailant's response simply reflected community push-back. Overheu was later charged with common assault, trespass, damage and giving false details to police,[13][14][15] and banished from his church.

Overheu appeared before Perth Magistrates Court on 7 July 2017, pleaded guilty to charges of assault and trespass, damaging the lapel microphone Joyce was wearing, and giving a false name to police after the incident. Overheu was fined $3,600, as well as ordered to pay $269 in compensation for the lapel microphone and $188 in costs. Overheu's lawyer said his client had had "physical and personal difficulties" in recent years, including mental health issues. [16][17]

Joyce is an Ambassador of the Australian Indigenous Education Foundation [18]

Joyce named a Companion of the Order of Australia, Australia's highest civil honour, in the 2017 Queen's birthday honours list [19]

This honour awarded for "eminent service to the aviation transport industry, to the development of the national and international tourism sectors, to gender equity, inclusion and diversity, and to the community, particularly as a supporter of Indigenous education" [20]

Joyce is openly gay and lives in the inner-Sydney suburb of The Rocks with his partner, a New Zealand man with whom Joyce has been in a relationship since 1999.[2] In 2011, Joyce was successfully treated for prostate cancer.[21]